Ecclesiastes 3

1 For everything there is a fixed time, and a time for every business under the sun.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time for birth and a time for death; a time for planting and a time for uprooting;

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to put to death and a time to make well; a time for pulling down and a time for building up;

A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time for weeping and a time for laughing; a time for sorrow and a time for dancing;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to take stones away and a time to get stones together; a time for kissing and a time to keep from kissing;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time for search and a time for loss; a time to keep and a time to give away;

A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time for undoing and a time for stitching; a time for keeping quiet and a time for talk;

A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time for love and a time for hate; a time for war and a time for peace.

A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit has the worker in the work which he does?

What profit has he that works in that wherein he labors?

10 I saw the work which God has put on the sons of man.

I have seen the travail, which God has given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 He has made everything right in its time; but he has made their hearts without knowledge, so that man is unable to see the works of God, from the first to the last.

He has made every thing beautiful in his time: also he has set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end.

12 I am certain that there is nothing better for a man than to be glad, and to do good while life is in him.

I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 And for every man to take food and drink, and have joy in all his work, is a reward from God.

And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God.

14 I am certain that whatever God does will be for ever. No addition may be made to it, nothing may be taken from it; and God has done it so that man may be in fear before him.

I know that, whatever God does, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God does it, that men should fear before him.

15 Whatever is has been before, and what is to be is now; because God makes search for the things which are past.

That which has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past.

16 And again, I saw under the sun, in the place of the judges, that evil was there; and in the place of righteousness, that evil was there.

And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

17 I said in my heart, God will be judge of the good and of the bad; because a time for every purpose and for every work has been fixed by him.

I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

18 I said in my heart, It is because of the sons of men, so that God may put them to the test and that they may see themselves as beasts.

I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

19 Because the fate of the sons of men and the fate of the beasts is the same. As is the death of one so is the death of the other, and all have one spirit. Man is not higher than the beasts; because all is to no purpose.

For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even one thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; yes, they have all one breath; so that a man has no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

20 All go to one place, all are of the dust, and all will be turned to dust again.

All go to one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

21 Who is certain that the spirit of the sons of men goes up to heaven, or that the spirit of the beasts goes down to the earth?

Who knows the spirit of man that goes upward, and the spirit of the beast that goes downward to the earth?

22 So I saw that there is nothing better than for a man to have joy in his work — because that is his reward. Who will make him see what will come after him?

Why I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?